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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spring — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spring — a coil
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — army training
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — the season
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com